Costumes in the Attic
by Kate Marley
Summary: Looking for Christmas decoration in Austria's attic, Prussia finds an old costume he hasn't expected to be there.


This fic is set at least one year later than _Krampuslauf,_ my other fic that deals with the _Krampus_ tradition of some eastern Alpine regions. Several of these horned figures with long tongues and cloven hooves traditionally accompany St Nicholas when he brings presents to children. As far as this part of the tradition is concerned, the Krampus is quite similar to _Knecht Ruprecht,_ St Nicholas' companion in most regions to Germany that is supposed to give naughty children ashes, coal, or stones instead of presents. (In some Austrian regions, Knecht Ruprecht also exists, but as sort of a protector of St Nicholas or as the person handing out birch rods to the various Krampus.)

There are some nods to Prussia's thoughts on Christmas decoration in Roderich's attic that I've made in _Christmas Baubles and Silver Tinsel,_ the other fic I've written for this year's Hetalia Christmas Calendar. However, you needn't have read it in order to understand the story and its pairing, Rus/Prus, is neither mentioned nor alluded to in _Costumes in the Attic._

Written for Day 20 (Krampus) of aph-fanficchallenges' Hetalia Christmas Calendar on tumblr.

* * *

"Hey! I thought you didn't have any of these things!" Prussia called from upstairs.

"What things?" Curiosity got the best of Austria. He walked up the stairs to his attic door, wondering what had elicited Prussia's exclamation.

"These," said his boyfriend, holding up a familiar-looking combination of fur, mask, and cowbells. "I thought you neither liked the smell of the fur nor how heavy this costume was!"

"Oh," Austria said, stepping closer to examine the Krampus costume Gilbert had retrieved from a wooden chest. "That one's really old. Must have survived two world wars. Amazing." He held the fur to his nose, sniffing reluctantly. "I only smell mothballs, though."

Prussia copied him.

"You're right," he admitted. "Still doesn't explain what a Krampus costume is doing in your attic."

"It's my brother's, actually— _Don't drop it!"_ Austria scowled at Prussia's impulse to be ostentatiously disgusted at all objects Bavaria might have touched. "Yes, this is Theodor's," he grumbled. "But it's a clean—well, a little dusty—costume he hasn't worn in over a hundred years. No need to treat it as if it was poisoned."

Prussia gave the costume a suspicious look, but there was also curiosity in his eyes. Austria smiled a tiny, private smile. Sometimes his boyfriend was pretty easy to read.

While Prussia was still fighting his inner struggle of whether his disgust for Bavaria outweighed his curiosity to try on the Krampus costume, Austria went to the crest and retrieved the other costume that he knew to be next to it.

"Ah, there's my St Nicholas costume too!" he called out. "I've been looking for it for _decades!"_

"Then you probably haven't been looking thoroughly enough," Prussia mumbled. "I've been telling you for _years_ that it's helpful to have at least some sort of system of ordering..."

"Yes, you've been starting to tell me this decades after it might have had any practical use," Austria countered. "Thinking about it, though, I wouldn't have followed your advice anyway because we were still rivals at that time," he then admitted. Prussia cackled, and Austria's private smile turned into a real one. He found he was getting soft; occasionally letting go of the opportunity to make a particularly mean pun on Prussia's expense. They would perhaps never stop bickering and Austria liked it that way, but he also liked the way Prussia and him sometimes showed consideration for each other's sensibilities.

Meanwhile Prussia had made his decision.

"All right," he said. "I'll wear it if you put the St Nicholas costume on!"

Austria nodded, slipping inside of the long, red coat of the saint that also smelled of mothballs. Perhaps he should take both costumes downstairs in order to air them a little...

He needed to help Prussia with the fur coat, but eventually, St Nicholas with his mitre and crosier and, next to him, a Krampus with horns over a scary, animalistic mask were standing in Austria's attic. Smirking, Austria tied St Nicholas' beard around his mouth, hiding his expression under long, bushy white hair. His eyes, however, were still smiling.

"So, how does it feel, being inside a Krampus costume for the first time in your life?"

"Honestly? All that fur feels pretty heavy," Prussia admitted. He shook his cowbells. "Woah. They're really loud in here."

Austria laughed. He wrapped his arms around the beast's neck, still seeing Prussia's albino eyes underneath the mask.

"They're made for outdoors, after all!" he said, grinning under his beard.

"Still loud," Prussia pouted. Austria nuzzled his white fake beard against the Krampus' fur, giggling.

"Oh my God!" a voice exclaimed from the direction of the attic door. Prussia's impulse was to jump away from Austria, but Austria's arm held him in place.

"Friedl," he said, scowling. "Don't startle us like this." Kugelmugel, for his part, was still shaking his head in disbelief.

"Kramperl and Nikolo are getting it on with each other," he commented. "Who'd have thought that. Guess I'm scarred for life."

* * *

 **Notes:**

The main inspiration for this short little thing was a drawing of St Nicholas and (a) Krampus by Japh (japhers on tumblr) who, in turn, was inspired by illustrations of the two on Christmas cards that—I quote—"make them look like a pair of queerplatonic old men who live across the street".


End file.
